Mendocino County agrees to Pinoleville casino deal

In a 4-1 vote, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors last week signed an agreement with the Pinoleville Pomo Nation to deal with the impacts of a casino and hotel the tribe is proposing to build just north of Ukiah, over expressed concerns about the tribe's claim to the land and where the water would come from, among others.

Citing "traffic impacts" and "the proliferation of casinos all over inland Mendocino County," board chairman 5th District Supervisor Dan Hamburg opposed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the county, the tribe and the Ukiah Valley Fire district, which specifies that, among other things, the tribe will pay the county and the district annual fees for services to the site.

"It seems like every casino kind of cannibalizes every other casino; I just don't know where all the gamblers are," Hamburg said. "This is no criticism whatsoever of Native Americans ... but it's really a sad commentary that this is what we call economic development in Mendocino County, is more and more and more casinos."

The proposed casino would be built in two phases on 8.8 acres of reservation land at 2150 N. State St. in Ukiah. It would include about 80,000 square feet of gaming space, up to 749 slot machines, 20 table games and, along with restaurants, possibly a four-story, 25-room hotel and event center and a parking structure.

"I think a hotel and casino would do great there for the simple reason (that) it really will be the only gambling facility that's actually right on the 101 highway; I think that's really smart," said 3rd District Supervisor John Pinches.

Pinches had earlier asked if the land at the site was in trust.

John Tang, a consultant for the tribe who helped prepare the Tribal Environmental Impact Report for the project, said the land was not in trust, but was eligible for gaming under an agreement between the tribe and the state.

"The land is not in trust," he said. "It does not have to be in trust because it is within the original 90-acre reservation. The tribe was terminated ... and then when it was restored in the '80s there was a specific stipulation that all the lands that were within the original boundaries are restored fully to the tribe as Indian lands."

Tang added that the MOU would only be effective if the tribe builds the project.

"If there was a question about the land being eligible to game, and someone challenges it, the casino won't be built," he said.

One speaker expressed concern about the Ukiah Valley Sanitation District serving the proposed casino, and 1st District Supervisor Carre Brown noted the tribe has a "side agreement" with the district for service.

Tang said the tribe has a will-serve letter from the district that expired, and had requested a renewal. "That is in process," he said.

Second District Supervisor John McCowen noted the district's "brief mention" in the MOU, which states that the tribe will contract with the district. The MOU also says the tribe will get its water from Millview County Water District.

"If in either case -- water supply or wastewater -- additional infrastructure improvements are required, based on the demand that the tribe would put on those facilities, then the tribe is obligated to bear the cost of those infrastructure improvements," McCowen said "If the existing water service is not sufficient, I believe the tribe, then, would intend to develop a well on the property, is that correct?"

"Correct," Tang answered, saying it was a "backup mitigation measure," and that the tribe would "fully expect the Millview Water District to provide all the water necessary."

A one-inch line on the property has the capacity of 36 gallons per minute, he said, adding that at full buildout, the project would draw "28 to 32 gallons per minute." The tribe expected to start with a demand of about a third of that, he said.

The Millview County Water District's attorney, Chris Neary, said the water will come from a 1,400 acre-foot water right it just won in court, which he said would double the district's capacity.

Tiffany Revelle can be reached at udjtr@ukiahdj.com, on Twitter @TiffanyRevelle or at 468-3523.